This weekend’s match between Jesuit and Christian Brothers marked another rivalry game within the long-standing tradition of the two competing high schools. But a much larger story, one of mutual respect, partnership, and kindness in the face of crippling loss, lies beneath the game.

“Baseball is a sport that’s with you your whole life—as a player, a parent, a coach, and a fan,” says Jesuit parent Jeanne Winnick-Brennan. “It’s part of life’s journey.”

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Doug Carson, a Christian Brothers alum and baseball player, set up the tournament at which Jesuit and Christian Brothers play their rivalry game each year, in order to honor his deceased wife, Albie, a St. Francis High School alum, who passed away after a battle with breast cancer. Carson wanted to help other women fighting the disease access information that could save their lives.

According to Albie Aware Foundation executive director Cindy Love, doctors were following Carson with simple blood tests after she had been told she was in remission in April 2002. Six weeks later, she passed away, and according to Love, this may not have happened had Carson had more post-op follow-ups. With Albie Aware, Love and Carson hope to prevent this from happening to other breast cancer patients.

Albie Aware pays for the tests and other needs of local women affected by breast cancer, who are not covered by insurance.

“The goal is to serve people in whatever capacity they need, when it comes to breast cancer,” says Love.

This goal has been adopted by local high school students, as well, through the tournament that resulted from a collaboration between members of the Jesuit and Christian Brothers communities.

Chris Fahey, Jesuit High School’s athletic director, works closely with Love and Doug Carson to grow the event. In the tournament’s program, players will dedicate their game to family members who have been affected by breast cancer.

“So many people are touched by breast cancer,” says Love. “A lot of these kids have lost people in their families. It’s a bonding thing that these students do; they really rally around it. These boys in particular—they wear their shirts with a lot of pride. I’ve talked to some moms who say that their boys wear the shirts all year long.”

The tournament began six years ago, when Fahey called Carson in hopes of educating his students and children about the importance of charity—and furthermore, the way that sports can facilitate unity.

“It just started as we want to teach our kids that they can do good for other people through sports,” Fahey explains.

In the tournament's first year, two teams came out to do good for other people through their athletic competition. The event grows every year, hosting 14 teams of both boys and girls this past week.

“Once (teams) play in the tournament, they always want to come back,” says Love.

Laughing, Fahey recounts his initial pitch to Love, who had been driving at the time of their conversation. His words were greeted by the skepticism that would be expected of someone receiving a call that essentially promised free money.

“’We’re gonna play a baseball game, we’re gonna raise some money, and whatever we raise, we wanna give it to you.’ Cindy and I still joke, she just about crashed her car.”

Two weeks after that, Fahey and Love threw the first tournament together, which has become emblematic of both fundraising and the larger, shared mission of the two rival schools.

“What better school to do it with than CB?” quips Fahey. “They have the same ideals and missions that we do. It’s a perfect fit. Jesuit and Christian Brothers are rivals on the field, but the bottom line is, our kids went to grammar school together, our families are friends.”

Both schools collaborate to recognize a larger purpose and larger issues that they can affect, through their on-field play.

“They’re there to compete,” says Fahey, “but because there’s that element of charity, it adds a different importance to the game.”

The event has raised more than $50,000 in its six years of existence, and has grown exponentially each year. Albie Aware is able to help an enormous scope of local women, as well.

“We have helped several thousand women in ten years,” she says.

And Fahey accredits the charity’s business model for part of the tournament’s success. Albie Aware puts all of their proceeds toward local women in need—none of it leaves the site for research donations.

“They’re generating a ton of funds,” says Fahey. “I think part of the reason for that is that people know it’s going right back to other people.”

Fahey believes that the collaboration between the two rival schools, in the service of this larger cause, brings out an element of sportsmanship that is rare under any circumstances, but because of the schools’ shared values, is effecting change for the benefit of those who truly need help in the community.

“At the end of the day,” he says, “try to do it not for you, but for the good of all. How can we make this world a better place? Sometimes it’s life-altering, global things. Sometimes it’s mowing the lawn for the elderly lady next door. That’s ultimately what it’s really about.”